My fascination with the history of crochet has ebbed and flowed for several years. There have been many blogs begun only to give up when the well of information seemed to run dry. I want to believe I am in a different place and hope I have something to share that will be a resource for anyone seeking crochet history and knowledge.

Today there are amazing artists around the world using crochet as an artistic medium. In 2000 artistic crochet was a novelty religated to a fringe group of people. The 1970s saw an explosion in the crochet world and that is when much of the artistic work was born. But it wasn’t until we could all put out work out for the world to see via websites and social media that crocheters began to see other ways of making things besides rigidly following patterns. I am consistently inspired by the work of crochet artists and aspire to contribute in my own, unique way.

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I plan on coming here to write about crochet, lace and crochet as art. I want to create a record of what I learn to leave a trail that someone else might want to pick up and carry forth.

Lace crochet has been my primary focus in recent years. Many people shy away from lace because the thread or yarn is thin and the hooks are small. This was an obstacle for me in the beginning, but I soon discovered that the rewards of creating lace fabric with such simple tools is absolutely worth the time invested.

As a fiber artist who, in addition to crochet, knits, weaves and tats, I have often wondered why there isn’t the same kind of attention paid to crochet lace as there is to knitted lace and lace knitting. I love lace and have quite a nice collection of lace knitting books. There are specific books devoted to the lace of a particular region of the world. Irish crochet lace, the only technique that is attributed to a specific country, is the well known and represented. Gorgeous examples of this style of crochet lace is now being made in Russia and other eastern European countries. My desire is to research what kind of crochet originally came to the United States with immigrants from Ireland, England and Europe. I want to explore stitch patterns and methods used to make the lives of so many people a bit more beautiful.

Lace is beautiful and versatile, and I can’t wait to dig in and share what I learn and what I make. I’d love you to join me on Instagram where I am @hookedthreadart.

Until next time, find your joy…live your passion.